Please join us and many other local artisans at the first Make Good Market at Heath Ceramics this weekend. Learn about the materials and processes that go into making our baskets and choobs. Pick up the perfect holiday gift while supporting our local craft community.

This 8'x10' You-me rug in the Alison Damonte collection fuses a rectangle and a circle of two different colors. photo credit: Bruce Damonte

We are excited to launch four designer collaborations which explore newly discovered ancient techniques in bold and innovative ways, found in, The Felt Carpets of Iran, a book by Mahmoud Javadipour, published in 1979 in Iran.

The four collaborators that we worked with to produce our fall 2017 collections are artist, Raha Raissnia of NY, Disc Interiors of L.A., Alison Damonte Design of S.F., and Hinterland of Vancouver, B.C. Experimentations incorporating yarns, fusing two shapes together, and adding fringe are expressed in surprising and fresh designs. Inspiration came from modernist painters like Ellsworth Kelly and Sol Lewitt, antique Japanese textiles, and Memphis-deco post modern graphic art.

The intention of all of the new collaborations is to present new ways of interpreting our medium and expanding on the technology of felt rug making. We are excited and inspired by all of the designers we had the opportunity to work with.

Raha Raissnia Collection

The Raha Raissnia collection was inspired by details of two of her oil paintings. Raha is a painter, film maker, and performance artist who recently exhibited at the Venice Biennale. In the spirit of her work, her collection will only be offered in black and white.

We are so excited to be featured and interviewed by Alpine Modern Magazine. Read the interview here.

Alpine Modern is a curated design brand based in Boulder, Colorado founded by husband and wife, Lon and Lauren McGowan in 2013. The company began when they opened Alpine Modern Shop, a home and gift boutique, in downtown Boulder. Their passion for modern design, the mountains, and architecture led them to publish their online Editorial stories.

We are working on a very exciting new project in the workshop of Turkoman reproductions. The traditional felts of the Turkoman tribes featured the practical application of designs on both sides. This project is part of our research of ancient techniques that will hopefully, deepen our understanding of the craft and history. We have learned a lot already. The dark boarder and the lighter color in the center are arranged in a single layer. We think that this was to function as a frame around a painting on which a pattern could be drawn. This would make these rugs some of the earliest human paintings, as these rugs have been around for literally, thousands of years.

Some of you may know that we used to sell the vintage tribal felt rugs, even before we made our own designs. After the sanctions, we could not bring them in to the US. Now that sanctions have been lifted, we could bring them except that there are just, no more. Sadly, no one makes these rugs anymore. That is what prompted a decision to attempt to create reproductions. We are using images from a very rare book on this subject, The Felt Carpets of Iran, by Mahmoud Javadipour. This book was written before the Islamic revolution but, was not published until, about ten years ago.

Please join us for an opening reception this Friday, January 27th from 5-8pm.

Refreshments, Art, Conversation

Drawing from topography, geography, and geometry, Mansur Nurullah creates textile art from scraps of recycled fabric in a quest to divert it from becoming landfill and to describe his sense of place and location.

"My works are deconstructions of natural and built environments that influence black spatial conditions. I consider places and objects that help construct our ideas of humanness as ecological systems to be mined. Here, I question under what conditions can un-keeping a place or thing become a means of developing a deeper understanding of our own genealogy. In my drawings, paintings, and sculptures I re-image side walks, levees, slave castles, rivers, and auction blocks into minimal schematics that are mediations on human geographic development and belonging..."- Mansur Nurullah, artists' statement

This is the market where we bought our wool in Konya, Turkey. Shepherds who lived within 100 miles of this market would come to sell their wool here and then rug makers and all sorts of wool dealers would then buy it. Believe it or not, people from all over the world would come to this market.

This month we are thrilled to introduce our very first collaboration with one of our favorite companies, Heath Ceramics. The Peace Industry for Heath Collection is a capsule collection that includes rugs, baskets and choobs, which take their inspiration from Heath Ceramics’ signature tiles and color patterns. As one of San Francisco’s most beloved makers of crafted goods, Heath Ceramics is a company that we have long admired given our shared commitments to creating well-crafted, sustainable and beautiful products.

The collection, which grew out of a friendship between Melina and Dodd from Peace Industry and Catherine and Robin from Heath Ceramics, launches September 23rd at Heath Ceramics’ Los Angeles and San Francisco showrooms. A special Pop-Up weekend will take place September 23-26 at the Heath Ceramics LA showroom and Melina and Dodd will be in Los Angeles on September 24th from 2:00-5:00pm for a reception to celebrate the collection. We hope to see you there!

Learn more about the collection and what inspired it in this special interview with Melina and Cathy…

PHOTO CREDIT: RENEE ZELLWEGER PHOTO CREDIT: LINDA O'HARA

What attracted you to doing a collaboration with Peace Industry?

CATHERINE BAILEY: All of our collaborations grow out of long relationships and this is another example. After years of living with Peace Industry in my home and countless conversations with Melina and Dodd about their business and my love of their products, the time finally felt right to work together. Years ago it made sense to focus our energies on supporting them and their products. But now, as we’re working to extend Heath’s aesthetic vision and values further out into the home to furniture, the rugs fit in perfectly.

We’ve found that the best collaborations are where everyone brings something to the table creatively, and this collaboration is a perfect example. Our design/color perspective pushed Melina in a slightly different direction than she would likely have gone on her own. And she brought to the collaboration her understanding of the materials and craft, and the graphics that would work best. In the end, this is what made these new designs original and interesting and perfectly in keeping with the Heath aesthetic.

What inspired the designs for the collaboration?

MELINA RAISSNIA: The inspiration came from Heath tiles, wallpaper, and colors. We share a very similar design approach driven by patternmaking using simple, geometric forms that express the specific limitations of our respective methodologies. Making a felt rug is similar to making a collage and then shrinking it, so the patterns need to be repeatable and simple. This results in quite a lot of overlapping of our design approaches, which made this project feel natural. We also share an earthy, West Coast palette making our collections very compatible, and the tactile surfaces of baked earth and pressed wool are a perfect match.

How long have you been a fan of Heath Ceramics and what attracted you to working with them?

MELINA: I have been a fan of Heath Ceramics since I learned about them when Catherine and Robin took over the reigns more than a decade ago. They have been a huge inspiration for me and for so many others in the craft community because of their commitment to design, quality, community, and sustainability. They have been extremely supportive of us and to so many emerging artists and artisans that it is truly an honor to be working together.

How long have you been a fan of Peace Industry’s?

CATHERINE: I first spotted Melina and Dodd’s rugs back when they had their first storefront in Hayes Valley, probably about 2004. I was drawn to the piles and piles of rugs that were unlike anything I’d ever seen before. They weren’t woven and the colors and graphics were distinctive and original. At the time, they had a video in the store showing how the rugs were made in the workshop in Iran. I was always thinking about how and where products were made, about scale of manufacturing and craft and its integration into communities. Melina and Dodd’s manufacturing story was really inspiring to me. From the small-scale manufacturing of an almost extinct craft that they brought back themselves to the uniqueness, beauty and integrity of the rugs, it all came together so wonderfully. I was really encouraged and inspired by the parallels with what we were trying to do with Heath at that time.

What do you like most about the pieces in the collection?

CATHERINE: These new pieces have a great balance between beauty, texture, originality, and integrity. They are magical in their ability to pull together many different styles in a room, which is exactly what you want in a rug.

MELINA: What I love about the collection is how well both of the rugs look side by side in my living room. I also love how much the Slice rug looks like one of my paper collages. We all seem to be geometry nerds.

Please join us at Peace Industry this Sunday for a Crochet Jam and artist's talk with, artist, Ramekon O'Arwisters. Ramekon will demonstrate the simple technique and provide all of the materials. At the end of the jam, all of the pieces will be linked to create one single work of freeform textile art. Ramekon will talk about how and why he started this project, which is fascinating, inspiring, and uplifting.

Crochet Jam engages the public to think differently about the role of art within community and the power of art within society. Crochet Jam—a public, art-making event that's embracing and inclusive, with no attempt made to dictate the creative process nor judge the finished project—is meditative, liberating, and empowering.

Ramekon O'Arwisters started Crochet Jam in 2012. His social-art practice is rooted in a cherished childhood memory that's steeped in the African-American tradition of weaving in a calm and non-judgmental environment without rules or limitations.

Introducing our Ikat collection. In stock now. This new design was inspired by the process of exploration with patterned, geometric curves. Come see our current exhibit of block printed textiles by Miriam Dym.

SundayJuly 17th 2-3pm

In conjunction with the exhibit of New Textiles by Miriam Dym at Peace Industry

Please join us at Peace Industry for a talk and demonstration by Miriam Dym who will share her block print techniques. Learn about how and why she started printing and the evolution of her process which is rooted in environmental concerns addressing consumerism.

"Printing locally is an important part of what we do. While this is partly about brave notions of providing jobs and opportunity in our community, and making sure that whoever works here is well treated, it turns out that having design and production under the same roof has allowed us to practice radical research on the designs themselves."-Miriam

Opening reception Sunday July 10, 2-5pm

An exhibit of New Textiles by Miriam Dym at Peace Industry.

We are so excited to welcome Miriam Dym working under the label, Dym California Textiles, to our family of Peace Industry local crafters. This exhibit formally launches a relationship that we hope will grow through the years. Peace Industry rugs and Dym California Textiles are a natural fit, sharing a love of color, texture, and sustainability.

WHAT: Opening reception for Miriam Dym. An exhibit of new textiles.

WHERE: Peace Industry 2235 Mission street SF, CA 94110

WHEN: Sunday, July 10th at 2-5pm

RSVP by filling out the form below.

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Please join us to celebrate the new work of Miriam Dym working under the label, Dym California Textiles. Miriam makes hand block-printed textiles in Berkeley, California, combining the ancient craft of block printing with intuitive mathematical modeling, Dym's workshop generates fresh, rich patterns by following flexible algorithms. Utterly hands-on, the process engages the minds and bodies of the printers, whose sense of play comes out in the textiles' beauty.

We are having so much fun getting ready for the embroidery workshop this Sunday. We will be practicing basic stitching and knotting on felt. If you are interested in signing up for future embroidery workshops, subscribe to our newsletter on the contact page or email us at peaceindustry@gmail.com

Our own Kelly DeFayette is showing a new body of work as part of the Guest Designer Series at our very favorite women's clothing designer, Lemon Twist, at 3418 25th St. @Mission in San Francisco. The show will be on view June 17 - July 29.